The Knicks didn’t have lottery luck, but it could actually propel them further in the short-term future.

By landing the No. 3 overall pick, the Knicks earned the rights to the third-best prospect in what looks to be a three-player draft. If, as many expect, Duke’s Zion Williamson and Murray State’s Ja Morant go in the top two spots, the Knicks will be staring at the chance to take Duke wing RJ Barrett at No. 3.

That would be a mistake.

Barrett is a solid prospect, but comes with flaws. And unlike Williamson (who I’m skeptical of) and Morant (my favorite prospect in this year’s class), it’s hard to imagine Barrett coming in and playing big minutes for a contender right away.

Here’s why the Knicks should trade the pick, and the veteran that should be targeted.

Look at the Celtics and Cavaliers: The 2007 Boston Celtics tanked for the right to draft either Greg Oden or Durant. When Boston fell to the No. 5 pick, Celtics executive Danny Ainge pivoted by packaging the pick for veteran shooting guard Ray Allen. When paired with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, a win-now title favorite was created.

The 2014 Cleveland Cavaliers had a similar approach by dealing the No. 1 overall pick (Andrew Wiggins) in a deal for star forward Kevin Love. With LeBron James back in tow, Wiggins’ timeline for championship contention didn’t fit James’ in Cleveland.

Barrett might be good in time, but Durant and Irving shouldn’t be pairing with a rookie.

Barrett isn’t special: There are flaws here. Barrett isn’t a great ball handler. His shot can disappear at times. Even his NBADraft.net comp (Danny Granger) screams “good” not “great” as he develops. This is a player, unlike Williamson or Morant, that the Knicks could swallow giving up.

Perfect fit is out there: Look to the downtrodden Washington Wizards. Without lottery luck, the future is bleak in D.C. In Bradley Beal (25.6 PPG), one of the league’s best and (still) underrated stars could be had in the right deal.